Bethpage Black Course
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Old Bethpage, New York |
| Established | 1936 |
| Type | Public |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Tournaments hosted | U.S. Open (2002, 2009)
The Barclays (2012, 2016) |
| Black Course | |
| Designed by | A. W. Tillinghast |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,366 yards |
| Course rating | 76.6 |
| Slope rating | 148 |
The Bethpage Black Course is the most difficult of the five golf courses at Bethpage State Park on Long Island. In 2002 the Black Course became the first publicly owned and operated course to host the U.S. Open. It also hosted the 2009 U.S. Open. Bethpage Black is set to host the first week of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the Barclays, in both 2012 and 2016.
The Bethpage Black is one of the featured courses in the video game Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, by EA Sports.
Contents |
[edit] 2002 U.S. Open
The tournament was won by Tiger Woods, being the only golfer to score under par for the tournament. It was seen as one of the most difficult and exciting U.S. Opens in history,[citation needed] breaking attendance records and creating a more boisterous atmosphere for the U.S. Open. It was this event that the 17th hole became comparable to that of the 16th hole of the Phoenix Open due to the "Amphitheatre" atmosphere of the hole. This was partially caused by the giant stands erected parallel along both sides of the green, with a natural hill behind the green, creating a giant horseshoe of spectators.
Prior to 2002, all U.S. Opens had been staged at private golf or country clubs or at privately owned resorts that, while open to the public, were very expensive for the public to play, with greens fees of several hundred dollars per round. The USGA's choice of Bethpage was seen as an egalitarian move.
[edit] 2009 U.S. Open
Lucas Glover won the 2009 U.S. Open.[1] The course was hit heavily by continuous rain throughout the week and weekend. This resulted in multiple suspensions of play. It was this U.S. Open that Phil Mickelson declared that this would be his last tournament before taking significant time off to tend to his ailing wife, Amy, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Tiger Woods was never a legitimate factor in this U.S. Open. After he sank his final putt of the 2009 U.S. Open, it took him no more than 10 minutes to leave Bethpage State Park.
Like the 2002 U.S. Open, the media coverage of the relationship between the New York gallery and Mickelson was one of the major headlines of the entire tournament. The most memorable moment was Mickelson teeing off on the short par-3 17th hole. As Mickelson walked down the path, toward the green he was met by thousands of spectators with thunderous chants of, "Let's Go Mickelson!" Mickelson came up short, but commended the New York golf fans and suggested a Ryder Cup should be played at Bethpage Black because, "We would have a big advantage."[2]
The USGA wanted to capture the entire venue that year at Bethpage Black for the 2009 US Open, so that the public could also experience every bunker, break, and ridiculous cut of rough during the real life tournament. So the USGA teamed up with World Golf Tour and co-hosted the 2009 Virtual US Open tournament that ended the day after the US Open tournament champion received his trophy. The winner of the virtual tournament won a trip for two to the next years live event in Pebble Beach. The Virtual U.S. Open attracted hundreds of thousands of players from more than 180 countries.[3][4]
[edit] Rankings
In its July 2008 list of America's greatest golf courses, Golf Digest ranked Bethpage Black #26 overall,[5] #6 in the state of New York,[5] #6 of America's 50 toughest courses,[6] and #5 in its list of America's greatest public golf courses.[7] It is also the top-ranked course in the Golf Digest list that is operated by a governmental entity.[7]
[edit] Major tournaments hosted
| Year | Tournament | Winner | Score | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | U.S. Open | Tiger Woods | 277 | −3 |
| 2009 | U.S. Open | Lucas Glover | 276 | −4 |
| 2012 | The Barclays | TBD | TBD | TBD |
[edit] 2012 Barclays
The annual Barclays tournament will continue its rotation around courses in the New York metropolitan area as it visits Bethpage State Park for the playing of the 2012 Barclays.[8]. As in past U.S. Opens, the 2012 Barclays will be played on the difficult Black course, the toughest of the five courses at Bethpage State Park located in Farmingdale, New York. The 2012 tournament is scheduled to be played August 23rd through August 26th. With The Barclays serving as the opening tournament in the PGA's FedEx Cup playoff system, the field will likely be filled with some of the Tour's best players, including defending champion Dustin Johnson, who won the weather-shortened Barclays in 2011 played at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey.
[edit] References
- ^ "Glover holds off Mickelson to win U.S. Open". CNN.com. June 22, 2009. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/06/22/golf.us.open.glover.mickelson.woods.duval/. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ Williams, Jeff (July 4, 2009). "Pros endorse Bethpage Black for Ryder Cup". Newsday. http://www.newsday.com/services/pros-endorse-bethpage-black-for-ryder-cup-1.1258686. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ Gaudiosi, John (March 18, 2010). "GDC 2010: World Golf Tour Partners with USGA for Virtual Competition". GamerLive.TV. http://www.gamerlive.tv/article/gdc-2010-world-golf-tour-partners-usga-virtual-competition. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ "Wayne Stopak Crowned 2009 Virtual U.S. Open Champion". USGA. June 2009. http://www.usga.org/news/2009/June/Wayne-Stopak-Crowned-2009-Virtual-U-S--Open-Champion/. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ a b "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses 07/08" (PDF). Golf Digest. May 2007. http://www.golfdigest.com/images/rankings/gd200705100greatest.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
- ^ "America's 50 Toughest Golf Courses". Golf Digest. March 2007. http://www.golfdigest.com/rankings/courses/toughest/2007/gd50toughestcourses?currentPage=2. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
- ^ a b "America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses 07/08" (PDF). Golf Digest. May 2007. http://www.golfdigest.com/images/rankings/gd200705100greatestpublic.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
In this context, "public" means a course that is open for the public to play, as opposed to a private club. - ^ "The Barclays - Home" (html). The Barclays. http://thebarclays.barclaysgolf.com/index.html. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
[edit] External links
- Golf Club Atlas Article
- 2009 U.S. Open Course Guide
- Telegraph Article on the Course
- Golf Digest Guide to the Course
Coordinates: 40°44′32.32″N 73°27′18.81″W / 40.7423111°N 73.455225°W
